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NIGERIA RANKED 37TH AFTER DAEGU FAILURE

Posted: Sep 06, 2011

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) have ranked Nigeria the 37th best nation at the just ended 13th World Championships in Athletics held in Daegu, South Korea.

 Nigeria failed to win a medal at the championships but produced two individual finalists and the two relay teams, the women's 4x100m and 4x400m teams, made it to the final.

 Sprinter Blessing Okagbare was Nigeria's best performer at the nine-day championships, placing fifth in the women's 100m in 11.12 seconds to equal Nigeria's best performance record in the event held by Mary Onyali. For her effort, the three-time Nigeria champion got four points according to IAAF classifications.

 Okagbare also anchored the women's 400 relay team of Gloria Asumnu, Damola Osayomi and Agnes Osazuwa to a seventh place finish which earned the team and Nigeria two points.

 Nigeria got one point each from high jumper Doreen Amata, who made history as the first Nigerian woman to make it to the final of her event at a global competition, as well as the women's 1600 relay team of Omolara Omotosho, Ajoke Odumosu, Margaret Etim and Bukola Abogunloko. Both Amata and the relay team placed last and got one point each.

 Nigeria thus amassed a total of eight points to finish joint-37th with Turkey but ahead of Sudan,Tunisia and Zimbabwe who all have athletes who made it to the podium. Sudan had Abubakar Kaki who won a silver medal in the men's 800m,Tunisia has Ghribi Habiba who also won a silver medal in the women's 3000m steeplechase while Zimbabwe has 2011 American collegiate sensation, Makusha Ngonidzashe, who picked the bronze medal in the men's long jump.

 Kenyan, Africa's number one ranked team with seven gold medals, six silver and four broze medals, is ranked the third best in the world  after USA and Russia.

 Nigeria has won a total of six medals, three silver and three bronze medals, since her debut appearance in Helsinki, Finland in 1983 when the championships' inaugural edition was held.

The last time Nigeria appeared at the podium was in 1999 in Seville at the sixth edition with Glory Alozie (100m hurdles silver),Francis Obikwelu (200m bronze) and the men's 4x100 relay team(bronze) winning the medals.

Eagles Fly In Luxury, Get Princely Welcome

Posted: Sep 06, 2011

Nigeria's Super Eagles flew to Bangladesh on the laps of luxury in a Boeing 737/700ER aircraft with all-business class seats provided by the match organisers.

The 33-man contingent, accompanied by NFF President Aminu Maigari and Technical Committee chairman Chris Green,  left Madagascar on Sunday night, straight from handing down a 2-0 defeat to their hosts that kept the Super Eagles Nations Cup qualifying hopes alive.

The players were impressed by the opulence of the aircraft and the sheer leg room available to them for the 10 hour flight, and made their feelings known to Maigari, Green and coach Samson Siasia.

Meanwhile Siasia and his men received a princely welcome, complete with red carpet when they arrived in Bangladesh yesterday ahead of today's high profile friendly against Argentina.

Officials of the Bangladeshi Football Federation met the squad at the arrival lounge of airport, and then members of the Bangladeshi national football team mounted a guard of honour to welcome the Super Eagles at the VIP lounge.

Outside, the team were decorated with garlands and sprinkled with fragrant confetti by a line of Bangladeshi beauties.

Along the drive to the airport, scores of Bangladeshi and some Nigerians with the green white green flag lined the streets waving to the team and taking pictures.

All that was nothing compared to what awaited the squad at their Westin Hotel lodgings where a horde of television and still cameras descended on the team bus as the players arrived.

This was in addition to a huge crowd that had gathered at the hotel surroundings awaiting the arrival of the players.

There were even more garlands and confetti at the hotel as the squad were shown their way up to their rooms with the crowd outside staying on to catch a glimpse of the Nigerian stars.

Members of the Nigerian Football Suppporters Club were also present at the hotel in their distinct t-shrits to welcome the lads.

The team had a light work-out at 7pm last night.

Kalika: Why We Dropped Enyeama

Posted: Sep 06, 2011

Eagles star goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama watched the Madagascar match from the stands so as to give long-term cover Dele Aiyenugba a chance and not because of the player revolt he led.

Eagles assistant coach, Simon Kalika, told MTNFootball.com that this was a match for Aiyenugba, who has for several years deputised for Enyeama both for club and country, to prove his mettle between the sticks for Nigeria.

"We have so many good players who dazzled in training which included Dele Aiyenugba and the home-based lad (Chigozie) Agbim).

But the main reason why the chief coach (Samson Siasia) opted for Aiyenugba was to test him in a match of this calibre to strengthen him as well as boost his confidence for future games,” Kalika disclosed.

“It was the coach's decision to pick Dele Aiyenugba for the match. You know he is in charge as the chief coach."

Enyeama has also warmed the bench at new French club Lille, but there were suggestions that the former Enyimba shot stopper was axed for his role in a revolt by players to change the team’s travel plans to Madagascar.

Enyeama has been Nigeria’s number since the 2002 World Cup but for a small blip in 2008 when then coach Berti Vogts preferred Austin Ejide in the post.

Nsofor, Anichebe Hailed As Madagascar Heroes

Posted: Sep 06, 2011

Obinna Nsofor, Victor Anichebe and substitute Fengor Ogude have been picked as the Eagles top performers against Madagascar in a crucial Nations Cup qualifier.

Nigeria beat Madagascar 2-0 Sunday in Antananarivo to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

"For me, my outstanding players in the match were Obinna Nsofor and Victor Anichebe while Fengor Ogude too was high on the pecking order. So my personal best player was Nsofor followed by Anichebe and Ogude,” Kalika told MTNFootball.com.

“Obinna (Nsofor) was fantastic in the match and was really on fire in the second half.

"When Fengor came in, we regained control of the midfield and he assisted Mikel Obi to block the loop holes in the team's midfield. After gaining the control of the midfield we shifted to the attack and introduced (Chinedu) Obasi which also brought bite into the attack.”

Nsofor scored Nigeria’s second goal with a long-distance shot from 30 yards in the 75th minute to keep the youthful Madagascar Barea at bay.

The Eagles number two man further volunteered personal rating on other players’ showing on Sunday.

"Joseph Yobo played the leadership role well in the game by coming front to score despite his primary role as a defender which he also did well,” he remarked.

"Mikel did his best but he was not outstanding. He needs to work more on his transition like waiting for the right ball as well as deciding on time whether to support or not. So, in that area I wasn't happy but you can pardon him for that because sometime you may find it difficult as a football player to play the way you want to play despite working hard to do so.”

Kalika also told MTNFootball.com that the poor pitch in Antananarivo affected the Eagles.

"We couldn't play our best match due to the terrible nature of the pitch which is not good for football at all. But everybody worked hard which gave us the victory,” he said.

"When the goals were not coming my biggest concern was that we were losing control in the midfield. That was why we brought Fengor in and he was fantastic in the match since he set his foot on the field of play.

“I was sure we would score but my fears were time was running out before the goals came.”

He added: "The team undoing was that everybody was attacking, trying to get the goals which really affected our control of the midfield before Fengor came and stabilised it for us.”
Solomon Okoronkwo shone in training but ended up an unused substitute.

"We had two options Solomon or Obasi. We decided to keep Obinna on the right side (of the attack) and bring in Obasi to man the left side instead of Solomon. That was why he didn't play, but Solomon is an important member of the team. The players have been working for each other and have a strong bond which really showed in their play,” Kalika explained.

SHORUNMU UPBEAT ON EAGLES VICTORY AGAINST MADAGASCAR

Posted: Sep 04, 2011

Super Eagles goalkeeper trainer, Ike Shorunmu is upbeat of a re-sounding victory against the Barea of Madagascar in today’s 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifier billed for the 22, 000 seater Stade Mahama Sina in Antananarivo.
Eagles are in a daunting race to grab the maximum three points off their hosts, Madagascar.
The former Nigerian safe hands who admitted that the team will miss the services of the injured players, however said that the players in camp are determined to give Nigerians victory.
“Football is a game of contact, we will miss the injured players but we are looking forward to those who will take their places to give their best.
“In fact, it is a rare chance for them to impress and put themselves in good stead for further invitations.
“We are aware that most of our players are coming back from pre-season, some played at the weekend, some played on Monday, and we hope they will give Nigeria what they have been giving to their respective clubs.
“The spirit among the players is high, and with prayers and luck, we are positive that they players will make all of us proud on match day, he said.

2012 African Cup Of Nations Qualifier:

Posted: Sep 03, 2011

JOEL OBI SPITS FIRE

Super Eagles And Inter Milan Star Craves For First Nations Cup Tourney

Warns Madagascar: “We Are Prepared For The Worst”



Eagles have a crunch game against Madagascar. How prepared is Joel for this epic clash?

I am as fit as fiddle at the moment for this encounter and I am already looking beyond this game with a very strong belief that this game will be won in Antananarivo. It is a very important game for us after we played a 2-2 draw against Ethiopia in our last game. I know it won’t be an easy task for us there considering the news we have been receiving concerning the bad state of their pitch, but we are already prepared for that here. The best way to approach this game is to prepare for the worst in Antananarivo, with that we won’t be caught unawares by what we see there. It is a game that must be won if really we want to play at the 2012 Nations Cup. All we just require is the support of all Nigerians and we won’t let them down.

Talking about the state of the pitch, do you have any fears or worries since such a bad pitch tends to affect the flow of the game especially for the visitors?

We have been informed already on the poor state of the pitch there so we are equally prepared for it. I don’t really have any worries at the moment because we have prepared well for this game and psychologically we should have the edge over the host come Sunday. Most of us have resolved to win our last two games against Madagascar and Guinea after our draw with Ethiopia, so nobody is expecting anything less than a win on Sunday. I expect a big fight from the visitors but we are equal to the task. You will discover that most us had to report in camp early enough for this game because we all know how important it is to our country and respective careers.

2012 Nations Cup will be your first should Nigeria qualify. Do you doubt in your mind that Nigeria could miss out of the competition?

If one considers how some of the big teams have been performing in the qualifiers thus far, one could begin to panic. I mean looking at teams like Cameroun and Egypt which may not qualify for the Nations Cup because of the bad results they’ve been getting, we know the danger of missing out, hence our determination to go all out for a win in Antananarivo. I have never played at the Nations Cup and 2012 might just be my first, so I am determined to do my best for my country and ensure Nigeria qualifies. I am not scared that Nigeria might miss out like other top African teams because we still have our destiny in our hands; all we need to do is to win our last two games and we will be safe and heading for the Nations Cup.

Are you bothered with the fact that you guys played yourselves into this tight corner after the 2-2 draw against Ethiopia, knowing fully well that Guinea picked three maximum valuable points in Addis Ababa?

Well, anything can happen in a game of football. We played on a very bad pitch and it was even good enough to pick a draw there. It could have been worse if we had lost that game, but thank God we shared the spoils. Madagascar will pay for our loss against Ethiopia come Sunday. We the players also know that we are yet to pick an away win in the qualifiers, so this game will be our first win away from home. Winning away from home is the hallmark of a good side and we are determined to that.

Do you think the state of injuries in Super Eagles is a major cause for worry ahead of this match?

No, it shouldn’t be because injury is part of the game. It is quite unfortunate we won’t be having the likes of Osaze, Ayila and Shittu in the squad but the rest of us are good enough to go all the way and make the country proud against Madagascar. Everybody knows the impact Osaze and the other injured players make in the team but we just have to make do with what we have and get the results. I believe we won’t have any problem if we can give our best in this game. All the players are looking forward to this match and we will deliver and make Nigerians happy.

Nigeria play Argentina three days later in Bangladesh. Do you realise that you guys will be playing against the Argentine full squad this time around?

Yes, we do understand the fact that the team that was beaten 4-1 in Abuja is a different team entirely even though I still feel Argentina is Argentina. But this one will be a big test for us. Besides, I see this match as one of our best opportunities to prove to the whole world that the victory in Abuja was not a fluke. But one factor that could determine the outcome of the match would be the result we get in Antananarivo; if we win well against Madagascar then we would be in the right frame of mind to confront the Argentines. It is good the match is coming after the Madagascar clash unlike the last time when we played them before Ethiopia.

Messi, Mascherano and Aguero will be playing this time around. Can you hold your own in the midfield with Messi around?

Well, everybody knows what Messi does with the ball but I’m not really intimidated by his presence, I will just go out there and play my game. It is good Mikel will be playing this game, he is a player that has proved to the whole world how good he is when it comes to marshalling the midfield. I believe having Mikel around will give me the much needed push and confidence to give my best. This friendly will be the game of my life but let us win in Madagascar first and Argentina will get the best from us.

How would you describe your progress under coach Samson Siasia?

Excellent is the right word to use here. Coach Siasia is a major inspiration to me as a youngster; he calls me regularly and gives me the confidence before every game and tells me I can be one of the best midfielders in the world. That alone makes you want to give your best to someone who believes in you. It’s been great playing under him and I look forward to winning laurels too. Coach Samson and the rest of the backroom staff are doing great jobs on the Super Eagles. It is like a work in progress and I believe Nigerians will have a lot to thank them for by the time he is through with his rebuilding process.

With the likes of Eto’O leaving for Russia in the summer, how far do you think Inter will go this season under a new manager?

Inter is a famous club and should therefore be able to cope this season. It was painful losing the Scudetto to Milan last season but the story should be different this season. Eto’O was an integral part of the club and leaving the club was painful but just like he said, he has to move on with his life. I just wish him all the best in Russia.

Your last word.

I just want to appeal to Nigerians to keep believing in us, they should expect the best from us against Madagascar. By the special grace of God they won’t be disappointed with our performance on Sunday. We all know the importance of the match, it is either a win or nothing. They should just pray for us and expect the best.

MUSA: BEATING MADAGASCAR IS SUPER EAGLES’ ONLY OPTION

Posted: Sep 02, 2011

Super Eagles forward Ahmed Musa tells RICHARD JIDEAKA that the team is ready for the Madagascar challenge. He also reveals his desire to play for Arsenal in the English Premier League

What are the Super Eagles chances against Madagascar on cSunday?

 It is a must win match. We have to give our 100 percent to win that game, it is very important to our country and our careers. Madagascar cannot stop us from playing at the Nations Cup next year.

Considering the Eagles’ poor away record, are you under pressure to deliver in Madagascar?

In the camp of the Super Eagles, we are not under any form of pressure. We know we do not have a good away record but we are working hard to see that we break that record by winning the game. We know that anything short of victory against Madagascar means we won't be going to the Africa Nations Cup next year.

Has the NFF been supportive and what are you expecting from Nigerians?

The NFF has given us everything we need to win the match. It's now left for us to deliver by qualifying for the Nations Cup. What we want  from Nigerians is their total support and prayers so that we can win in Antananarivo.

After Madagascar comes the Argentina friendly, are you scared of playing against their top stars?

How can we be scared of Argentina?  We beat them before and we can beat them again. The match will be tough and I think we can beat them again may be by 2-0 and not with the wide margin that we beat them with in Abuja. We need to score most of the goals in Madagascar and not against Argentina.

Can the Dream Team V still make it to the 2012 London Olympic Games?

I am very sure the Dream Team will qualify for the Olympic Games but we have to work hard and ensure that all the players needed for the next qualifying stage in Egypt are released on time. I want to play at the Olympics and I would be very disappointed if we do not make it to London.

Why did you turn down NFF's request to skip Ramadan fasting during the U-20 World Cup?

 We simply  told them that we could not skip our fasting for the match against France because we have won all our matches in the tournament while observing the Ramadan fasting, so there was no need to break it. It did not affect us. We cannot break our fast because of football.
Fasting is a religious exercise. Football is a passion and we cannot sacrifice our belief for a game.

 The Saudis skipped fasting, why not Nigeria?

 We are Nigerians and not Saudi Arabia. They don’t take their religion like us in Nigeria. They still lost the game anyway after skipping the fasting. What will be will be and that is why we lost and the Saudis lost too.

 Coach Siasia wanted you to rest after a busy season, why did you insist on being invited?

 I insisted on playing because I am very young and able  and moreso, I want to get as many international caps as possible in my career. I know  I am fit for the games and I want to play and that is why I begged to be included.

 Don’t you think you deserve some rest after playing at the Under-20 World Cup?

 For now, I don’t think so. Even if I need a rest now, it has to be for my club games because I cannot afford to miss my country’s games. I just love playing for Nigeria and I will always answer calls if I am fit.

 Are you sure your club will release you for the  Olympic play-offs in Egypt?

I don’t really know for now but when I get back, I would take it up with my club; that is if the coaches think I can be useful to the team at the qualifiers.

 Any plan to move to the big leagues of Europe?

 Every player wants to play in a big league and I want to play in Spain, England or Germany if the offers are good. There are lot of offers for me. If I don’t go this time, I will definitely leave in the January transfer window. I will no doubt leave Venlo in January and that I can assure you.

You are a fan of Arsenal...

 Yes, a big fan of Arsenal, Gunners for life!

Would you like to play for Arsenal one day?

 Yes by the grace of God, I would jump at the opportunity to play for Arsenal. I love their game I would love to play under Arsene Wenger one day.